Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Shortlist announced for world's most valuable short story award

Behind closed doors: dark domestic tales make
eye-catching final six for Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award;
Pulitzer Prize-winner up against the best of Britain for £30,000 prize

An explosive and diverse set of stories from six
award-winning authors make up the shortlist for The Sunday Times EFG Private
Bank Short Story Award 2013. Two of the stories – from Pulitzer Prize-winning
Junot Díaz and Sarah Hall – tackle the dangerous power of unusual sexual
relationships, whilst the entries from Mark Haddon and Cynan Jones explore the
implications of violence. The impressive shortlist is rounded off with a nimble
and moving science-fiction tale from Toby Litt and a magical modern fable from
Ali Smith.

The six shortlisted writers and the titles of their short
stories are:

• Junot Díaz
– ‘Miss Lora’

• Mark Haddon
– ‘The Gun’

• Sarah Hall (left) – ‘Evie’

• Cynan Jones
– ‘The Dig’

• Toby Litt –
‘Call it “The Bug” Because I Have No Time to Think of a Better Title’

• Ali Smith –
‘The Beholder’

The victorious author will win £30,000, the biggest prize
in the world for a single short story, with the five other shortlisted writers
each receiving £1,000. The winner will be announced at a gala dinner at The
Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival on 22 March.